History 140 Online Syllabus Winter Session

History 140 Online: History of Early Civilizations Course Syllabus

Instructor: Jason R. Suárez

Office: BSSB 130

Phone: 310-660-3593 ext. 3769

Hello, my name is Jason Suárez, and I am excited to be your instructor this semester in History 140 Online: The History of Early Civilizations. Your success is extremely important to me. As a result of this, I have to the best of my ability tried to author a course that is hopefully interesting, well structured, and insightful. You do not need to purchase any texts for this course. All the reading materials are available through Canvas, the course management system used at El Camino College.

Course Description

This course surveys the political, economic, social and cultural development of World Civilizations from the origins of complex cultures in the Neolithic Era to the emergence of the West in the fifteenth century. This course is transferable to the University of California and the California State University Systems. The following will be needed to successfully complete this course:

A computer (PC with Windows and a Pentium processor or a Macintosh with at least system 9.0 recommended).
A recent version of a web browser such as Microsoft Explorer, Opera, Firefox, or Chrome.
An Internet Service Provider.
An ECC email address provided by the college.
PDF reader software.
Access to a word processor that can convert text files to a PDF format.

Student Learning Outcomes

Every course that is taught at a Community College has student learning outcomes (SLOs) and all instructors are required to review the courses SLOs with their students. First, let us define what an SLO is.

“Learning Outcomes are the goals that describe how a student will be different because of a learning experience. More specifically, learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind that students take with them from a learning experience.”– Lind Suskie (2009)

History 140 Online Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of History 140 Online/Hybrid, students will be able to develop and persuasively argue a
historical thesis in a written assignment.
Students will be able to identify and explain major social, economic, political and/or cultural
historical themes or patterns in World history and apply appropriate historical methods to analyze
and use primary and/or secondary sources as evidence to support the thesis

Course Objectives

Course objectives define the goals, content, and purpose of the course. The course objectives for History 140 Online:

Assess the significance of agriculture in the development of complex cultures and identify the
major characteristics of early agricultural societies.
Analyze the impact of geographical features in the formation and evolution of early civilizations
of the Near East, Egypt, South Asia, China, and the Americas.
Compare and contrast the political, religious, economic, and social institutions of early
civilizations of the Near East, Egypt, South Asia, China, and the Americas.
Assess the role of Nomadic societies in the development of early agricultural civilizations.
Discuss the major characteristics of the Classical Era and identify what distinguishes it from
earlier historical periods.
Identify and analyze the ways Classical civilizations of the Near East, South Asia, China, and the
Mediterranean maintained or transformed earlier institutions and traditions.
Examine the various ways in which cultural encounters occurred and identify significant cross-cultural exchanges that took place during the Classical Era.
Compare the major legacies of Classical civilizations in the Near East, South Asia, China, and the
Mediterranean.
Identify the major characteristics of the post-Classical era and discuss what distinguishes it from
earlier historical periods.
Assess the contributions of earlier civilizations to the development of the post-Classical societies
of Medieval Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic Empire.
Analyze the political, economic, social, and cultural evolution of South Asian and Chinese
civilizations in the post-Classical era.
Evaluate the spread of South Asian culture throughout the Indian Ocean Basin and the spread of
Chinese culture in East Asia.
Explain and analyze the origins, basic beliefs, and diffusions of the world’s major religious

Communication and Office Hours

There are three ways you can contact me this semester should you have any questions about the course.

First, you contact me via email (jsuarez@elcamino.edu) or Canvas. Your communication is extremely important to me so I will do my best to reply within 24 hours. To ensure that I see your message among my emails, please use the class name and number HIST 140 Online in your subject line. Be sure to use your ECC email account when contacting me. I cannot address official course details with you if you use a personal email account.
Second, you can visit me during office hours. You can attend my Zoom virtual office hours. My office hours are synchronous (live and real-time) and are posted on the Canvas home page. No password is needed. Zoom virtual office meeting link; https://elcamino-edu.zoom.us/j/4920339955
Third, you can schedule an appointment via email for a virtual or face-to-face office meeting.

For those enrolled in this course outside of the state of California please be aware of time zone differences.

Canvas

Canvas is the Course Management System (CMS) used in this this online course and supported by the Distance Education Office at El Camino College. Make sure your Canvas login works. Do not panic if you do not see class content immediately as I will not publish it until the first day of class. Please be aware that having the correct Canvas username and password is what’s important at this point. The Distance Education Office has made the following tutorial available to you if you are new to Canvas.

Canvas Student Guide

Being Dropped the First Week

Please be aware that if you do not submit your initial discussion board post by Thursday at 11:59 p.m., you may be dropped from the course. This deadline is not only important for staying on track with the fast-paced format of the class, but it is also tied to chatbot enrollment tracking, which verifies your active participation. Submitting your post on time confirms your engagement in the course. Failure to do so may result in being automatically unenrolled, so please make it a priority to meet this deadline.

Assessment Measures

Assessment measures are used to determine what a student has learned during and after a course is completed. Student acquisition of knowledge in History 140 Online will be assessed in three ways:

Essays (60% of the grade): Writing an effective college level essay requires that students have knowledge of the subject matter and that students can organize that knowledge into a coherent set of arguments. An effective essay has a clear introduction, a solid body of evidence and argumentation, and a firm conclusion. Students enrolled in History 140 will complete two essays in which major human social, economic, political, and cultural patterns will be reconstructed through the analysis and evaluation of historical sources. Your midterm and final for this course will be essays drawing information from the instructor’s presentations and required supplemental readings. The body of your essay is to include and cite evidential support only provided in this course. If sources outside of what has been provided are used in the essay, I will not accept its submission and a 0% will be issued for the grade. Why? You are being assessed on the knowledge you have mastered from this course and not others. In writing your essay it is important to be organized thus outlining your ideas before writing is critical. Your writing should be of an academic nature and should have logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion. Your body paragraphs should include narrative and evidential support from the course content. Essay formatting instructions will be provided in Canvas.
Topic Quizzes (20% of the grade): After every topic students will be asked to analyze a series of statements and paragraphs that focus on historical periods, themes, and ideas taken from the course content. Students will then evaluate the validity of these statements and determine if they are true or false.
Discussion Board Post (20% of the grade): Creating a community of learners through academic and social involvement in the classroom encourages students to be active participants in the learning process and promotes their persistence in the pursuit of their educational goals. To emphasize this aspect of your academic training, students will collaboratively address a variety of historical questions by analyzing primary and secondary sources in a discussion board setting.

Required Books/Materials

There are no required textbooks or materials for this course. All the reading content and materials will be provided to you via the Canvas course site.

Student Grade Record

All assignments in History 140 Online are graded on the 100% scale. Please be sure to retain all materials returned. The following is the course grade distribution.

90-100% A = 4.0
80-89% B = 3.0
70-79% C= 2.0
60-69% D = 1.0
59% and below F

Participation

If you have become inactive in the course this means you have stopped attending History 140 Online. Inactive means that you are missing assignment deadlines, or you are not logging into Canvas regularly. Keep in mind that your online presence and assignment completion are indicators of your attendance in this course. If you do not plan on completing the History 140 Online, be sure to drop the class before the drop deadline. It is a student’s responsibility to do so if course completion is not intended.

Online Rules of Conduct

It is important to recognize that the online classroom is in fact a classroom, and certain behaviors are expected when you communicate with both your peers and your instructor. For general communication be
sure to implement the following guidelines:

Use only your El Camino College email.
Treat your instructor and classmates with respect in email or any other communication.
All college level communication should have correct spelling and grammar (this includes
discussion boards).
Use standard fonts such as Ariel, Calibri or Times new Roman and use a size 10 or 12 pt. font
Avoid using the caps lock feature AS IT CAN BE INTERPRETTED AS YELLING.
Be careful with personal information (both yours and other’s).
Do not send confidential information via e-mail.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is of the utmost importance in this class. Presenting another person’s work as your own, what academics call “plagiarism,” is a serious breach of academic integrity regardless of your intentions or the severity of the case. This can include:

Turning in someone else’s work as your own.
Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit.
Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks.
Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation.
Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit.
Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work,
whether you give credit or not.
Cutting and pasting directly from Artificial Intelligence without paraphrasing and citing the content. Note: Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E are gaining interest among students for brainstorming, problem-solving, and creative engagement. While they can support your work, they’re not a substitute for working directly with your instructor. If you plan to use AI tools for an assignment, please contact me ahead of the deadline so we can discuss what’s appropriate.

For more information see https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism and the Standards of Student Conduct (AP 5500). As noted in the Student Discipline and Due Process Procedures (AP 5520), students who engage in plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty may receive a failing grade for that piece of work and disciplinary action may be pursued.

Student Readiness and Success in History 140 Online

To succeed in an online course, students must be self-motivated and be able to work independently with minimum supervision. You must be able to manage your time effectively and stay on track with your coursework. It is critical that you log on frequently (at least 3–4 times a week) into Canvas and keep up with all required activities, assignments, and readings. Always feel free to ask me any questions you may have about the course and its content. How many hours a week do you need to commit to this course? This course is a 5-week condensed version of a 16-week course. To complete all the readings and activities you will need to commit at least 12 hours per week to this course. Because of the condensed schedule no late work will be accepted in this course. There is no excuse for missing deadlines as Canvas and the announcements I post will always remind what is due and when it is due.

Student Resources

Your success is the number one priority at El Camino College. College resources to help you succeed include computer loan programs, tutoring, student health, and services for designated groups, such as veterans and students with disabilities. Most if not all of these resources can be accessed virtually. For a comprehensive list of Academic Resources and Support Programs, visit:

Student Success Act

State regulations may affect your eligibility for financial aid, your registration priority, and your ability to repeat classes.  For more information, consult with a counselor. After completing 15 units or prior to the end of the third semester, all students must declare a major and complete a comprehensive educational plan. Schedule an appointment to see a counselor for an up-to-date educational plan by visiting: https://www.elcamino.edu/studentservices/co/appointments.asp

Disability Accommodations

El Camino College is committed to providing educational accommodations for students with disabilities upon the timely request by the student to the instructor. A student with a disability, who would like to request an academic accommodation, is responsible for identifying herself/himself to the instructor and to
the Special Resources Center (SRC). The SRC coordinates all academic accommodations for students with documented disabilities at El Camino College. If you have or think you might have a disability that impacts your educational experience in this class, contact SRC to determine your eligibility for accommodations.

SRC is located in the Southeast Wing of the Student Services Center. Their contact information is
310-660-3295 or SRCinfo@elcamino.edu

If you have already registered with SRC, please submit your accommodation requests as soon as possible. This needs to be done each semester. If you have any questions or concerns about your accommodations, please make an appointment with a SRC Counselor.

Complete this process in a timely manner to allow adequate time to provide accommodations. Also, please inform the instructor if you need course adaptations or accommodation in the classroom because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with your instructor, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated.

Title IX Reporting Obligation

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination—including sexual violence—in educational programs and activities. We are committed to helping you attain your educational goals free of harassment and discrimination. You should know that faculty members have certain obligations under the federal law. If you reveal gender-based or sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking or intimate partner violence to any instructor, we are required by law to report the problem to the Office of Staff and Student Diversity. However, psychologists are not required to report your incident.  To speak confidentially with a psychologist, contact the Student Health Center for an appointment: 310.660.3643 or http://www.elcamino.edu/studentservices/health-services. For more information, visit http://www.elcamino.edu/administration/hr/diversity/misconduct.asp

Proposed Themes and Readings

The instructor reserves the right to alter or deviate from the proposed themes and reading schedule. The most current schedule will always be available in Canvas. For due dates visit the Canvas shell.

Topic 0: Course Introduction

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation | Course Syllabus
Required Scored Activities: Discussion Board Post: Introductions

Topic 1: The Nature of Historical Knowledge

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation | James Brien, The Role of Causation in History
Primary Source Analysis: The Communist Manifesto
Required Scored Activities: Topic 1 Quiz

Topic 2: The Chronometric Revolution

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation | David Christian, A Single Historical Continuum: What Is It?
Primary Source Analysis: Creation Stories
Required Scored Activities: Topic 2 Quiz

Topic 3: Cognition and Language Creates a Cultural Species

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation | Mark Pagel, What is Human Language, When did it Evolve, and Should We Care?
Article Analysis: “Neanderthal Extinction and Modern Human Behaviour: The Role of Climate Change and Clothing.” Ian Gilligan, World Archaeology, Vol. 39, No. 4, (Dec. 2007)
Primary Source Analysis: Cave Altamira
Required Scored Activities: Discussion Board Post: A Different Kind of Animal | Topic 3 Quiz

Topic 4: Cultivation and its Consequences

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation
Article Analysis: “Biological Changes in Human Populations with Agriculture.” Clark Spencer Larsen.
Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 24 (1995)
Primary Source Analysis: Çatalhöyük Field Report
Required Scored Activities: Topic 4 Quiz

Topic 5: The Rise of Complex Societies

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation
Primary Source Analysis: Hammurabi, Law Code
Required Scored Activities: Discussion Board Post: Breaking the Maya Code | Topic 5 Quiz

Topic 6: The Axial Revolution

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation | “What changed during the axial age: Cognitive styles or reward systems?”, Nicolas Baumard, Alexandre Hyafil, and Pascal Boyer, Communicative & Integrative Biology 8:5, September/October 2015
Required Scored Activities: Topic 6 Quiz

Topic 7: Pathways toward Liberation

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation
Primary Source Analysis: Buddha, Sermon at Benares
Required Scored Activities: Midterm Essay

Topic 8: The Age of One Hundred Schools

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation
Primary Source Analysis: Analects of Confucius
Required Scored Activities: Topic 8 Quiz

Topic 9: Revolutionary Monotheism

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation | Susan Ackerman, “Women in Ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion
Primary Source Analysis: Tanakh
Required Scored Activities: Topic 9 Quiz

Topic 10: A Human-Centered World

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation
Primary Source Analysis: Metaphysics
Required Scored Activities: Topic 10 Quiz

Topic 11: From Respublica to Christendom

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation | The Roman Legal Tradition and the Compilation of Justinian
Primary Source Analysis: The Annals
Required Scored Activity: Topic 11 Quiz

Topic 12: The Abrahamic Religions in the Middle Ages

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation | Rachel Hajar, “The Air of History Part III: The Golden Age in Arab Islamic Medicine An Introduction.” Heart Views. 2013 Jan;14(1):43-6.
Primary Source Analysis: On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy
Required Scored Activities: Discussion Board Post: Why the Devil? | Topic 12 Quiz

Topic 13: The Cultures of Mesoamerica and South America

Required Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation
Primary Source Analysis: Codex Mendoza
Required Scored Activities: Topic 13 Quiz

Topic 14: The Opening of the Atlantic World

Required/Reading/Viewing: Instructor’s Presentation | Sirio Canós-Donay, The Empire of Mali, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History | Nathan Nunn and Nancy Qian, “The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas,” Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 24, Number 2—Spring 2010
Required Scored Activities: Topic 14 Quiz | Final Essay